Somewhere

2 Paws
Seen Feb. 11 at Film Streams

It's hard to feel sorry for a rich celebrity with relationship issues, especially when he exhibits the type of behavior we've come to associate with Charlie Sheen. I didn't much care for Stephen Dorff's Johnny Marco, although it was fun to watch him stumble through the bizarre activities that are the norm for Hollywood types. (I want one of those giant cat statues from the Italian awards ceremony.) Things got much better with the appearance of Cleo, Johnny's daughter. Elle Fanning is part muppet, part princess, part puppy - who wouldn't want her around to make their day better?

I was expecting a greater emphasis on the hotel itself - the place that's been home to artists, writers and actors for decades - the place where John Belushi died. The Benicio del Toro cameo was nice, but I wanted more. The open ending - the kind intellectuals like because they can interpret it for you - was abrupt and unsatisfying. Nice try, Sofia, but it made me want to power up Netflix and watch "Lost in Translation."

Bonus Bones: 1
A cute puppy - perhaps a yellow lab or golden retriever - makes a brief appearance during the pool scene. Note to Johnny: dogs make great companions, buddy.